An Act Of Defiance
by notyourleo
Summary: "I understand that you two are looking for a way to save your lost friend, Jason Grace. But before you go, can I ask, how far will you go to save a life?" Post Second Series Adventure. Slow Leo/Piper.
1. In Medias Res

**Disclaimer  
**The Heroes Of Olympus series belongs to Rick Riordan

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**An Act Of Defiance**

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_- Prologue -  
In Medias Res_

"We're almost there."

The woman looked at her companion. She couldn't see anything in the dark, but she could see his grim and determined expression, the fire on his palm burning, lighting the way.

As they walked slowly down the tunnel, they could hear the war raging above them: the sound of familiar voices shouting commands and names, the sound of gunfire, the clashing of swords and shields. The tunnel was moist and cold. The woman was having a hard time to breathe, in this cold and earth that surrounded her. It didn't matter that they were under a volcano that was about to erupt.

The woman brought her jacket around her and marched on. Their feet were tired from running, and they both didn't get any proper rest the past few days since they traveled here. The anticipation was robbing them of their sleep. The thought of charging to war again made them restless and uneasy. But no matter, it was almost the end.

They just have to find their friend. _Jason_.

And would it be over?

She looked at her companion. He seemed to be asking the same thing to himself.

After a while, he flinched, and suddenly, he held his head with both hands, stifling a cry. He staggered and dropped to the ground.

The woman knelt besides him, holding him, telling him the pain would pass. _This will be the last,_ she assured herself._ This has to be the last._

The ground rumbled, and small rocks, dirt, and snow fell to them. She continued to soothe the man, muttering soft words, humming a song. The latter calmed, but his breathing was uneven, his brain still throbbing with pain.

They could still hear the war in a distance, and the earth groaning, but they were in no rush. There was no time limit. They seized the moment for themselves, forgetting the war, their mission, the reason why they were here in the first place. They quietly wished that this would end without them, praying to the gods for forgiveness, and release them from their problems.

But of course, that couldn't happen. They were supposed to fix this, because no one else would. Everyone had their own problems, and this was theirs.

The woman helped him up to his feet and continued on. They were close to their destination now; they could feel the earth rumbling quietly beneath, and they couldn't hear the battle above them. Without thinking, she took his hand for comfort. The man was reluctant for a second, but gripped it in return. Even though she had gone through dangers, she was not afraid to face them. Though this time, it was different. She was scared. They were both scared.

At the end of the tunnel, they were greeted by a large rusted door, like a bank vault. They stood in silence, hand-in-hand, examining the door in front of them.

The man swallowed and heaved a sigh. Then he placed his other hand on the large handle. He didn't turn it. Instead, he looked down to his feet and let out a small laugh.

"So this is how it would end?"

The woman wanted to speak, but she couldn't find her voice. She didn't know if she would nod in agreement, or shake her head to say that it didn't have to end this way. In a way, he was right, and in another way, he could be proven wrong.

She reached out to the handle and placed her other hand on top of his. "We're still together, right?" She lets out a small, tired smile. "We're gonna make it."

They looked at each other for a while, until the man nodded grimly. "Yeah." He voice shook.

They turned the handle and pushed the door, and a blinding white light greeted them.

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_Chapter edited on 12/30/12._

_A/N: Thanks to _Hazelle More_ for giving me a hand in proof-reading this story (as some of you may have probably notice between us, we're partners in crime :D). I still don't trust myself, so I have to pull people from the crowd, shake their shoulders and say, "Beta my story for me!" But Hazelle is kind enough to volunteer to read and get herself tortured first with this story's incoming adventure and drama.  
_


	2. Graduation

_A/N: Everyone kept asking for it, so here you go. First chapter. I actually pre-wrote this back in December, so I guess I'm a bit uncomfortable at my writing style back then. But thank the gods for Hazelle More, who is the beta for this fan fic, who helped me make this chapter better than before. Thanks a lot, buddy._

_Anyways, also thanks to everyone who faved, reviewed, and alerted. You guys rock. _

_Also, all OCs are insignificant in the story. Maybe except for Abigail, but that's until later.  
_

_Without further ado..._

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_- One -_  
_Graduation_

_Three months earlier_

"Come on, Leo!" One of his colleagues called out to him. "Over here, over here!"

Leo laughed. He couldn't see to where the guys were taking him, but he knew that he was being led to a surprise. Other than Camp Half-Blood, and him finding out that he was a demigod (and the other demigod-related stuff that turned out to him five years ago), flight school was probably one of the best things that happened to Leo. Sure, it wasn't necessary for him to attend such school, since he could fly a helicopter and massive flying ship just fine when he was only a teenager, but he had nothing better to do. Besides, flight school was also a place where he was widely accepted. Felt like home.

But that didn't fix the fact that he was still being chased by monsters from time to time. There were a few times when some _Karpoi_ would walk to the front door of the main building, politely asking for Leo Valdez.

And that one time, while he was out shopping with friends, when three Cyclopes with baseball bats were able to corner his group and challenged them in a 'friendly' game, where if Leo's friends lose, they were food. Leo was able to solve the problem by taking all of them to lunch, led the Cyclopes at the back of a building, and fought them, which was not exactly easy. When he came back to his friends, he had to excuse himself and made a story about how he was wounded all over. _"There was an accident."_ He waved his hand casually, like this was everyday occurrence. He paid his friends' lunches in advance and left before they could raise anymore questions about the Cyclopes and the make-believe accident.

Then there were also a few times he was casually chased by wolves in the streets. This was when he learned that he was safer in flight school. Better here than the outside world where he was an attraction of all things that want him for chow.

Leo, despite being blindfolded, could tell that he was being led outside the building, with the warm breeze brushing his cheeks. His companions were trying to stifle their laughs. He stumbled and fell, and his friends were quick to pick him from the ground, brushing the dust from his clothes. "Sorry about that. But we're almost there," they said. Leo nodded.

The ground smoothed, and then he was startled to hear plane engines. Were they in the runway or something?

They stopped abruptly, and Leo's friends suddenly hushed.

"Remove the blindfold," one of them said.

After blinking away the dark spots from his vision the moment the blindfold was removed, Leo looked up and stared, his friends grinning at him.

Up ahead was a model of a plane that Leo had been dreaming to ride. It was a small version of an F-8 Crusader, complete with Leo's initials at the side in small font, gold in color.

"Surprise!" They all said in unison. "Congratulations on graduating!"

He turned to them, laughing. "Holy cows, guys, thanks." He smiled. "Seriously, where did you get this? Isn't this, like, military material?"

"We have our sources," they grinned. "We can't share it to you." Then they all laughed.

Leo looked back to the plane and beamed. "Really, guys. This is so awesome. Thanks."

One of the guys lightly punched Leo's shoulder. "Haha, don't mention it."

A small pretty woman stepped forward. It was Emily, the shy one.

"What is it, Emily?" Leo asked.

She smiled and took something from her pocket. Then she reached out for Leo's hand and placed the item on his palm.

"It's not much," she said, "but hey, congratulations."

Leo looked down to the Zippo lighter he was given. It was bronze, and the letters _LV_ were engraved on one side.

"Haha, thanks. I love it." Leo said. "Even though I don't smoke."

Emily shrugged and smiled timidly. "For good luck I guess?"

"Good luck it is then." Leo pocketed the lighter. "This is so great, guys. I…I can't thank you enough!"

More laughter. The air was so merry and fun Leo wished this lasted forever.

"Oh dang it, I forgot the keys to your ride," one of them, Marcus, said. "I'll go get it." He dashed back to the building.

Leo moved closer to the Crusader, scanning it with his eyes, taking every detail of the aircraft in mind. It was so beautiful, he had to admit. He hadn't had anything this cool for years. The plane was gray, with a tipped beak, his initials in the middle, painted in both sides of the Crusader. He touched the right wing of the plane, and instantly, all details flowed into his mind. Maximum speed and climb rate. The size of the plane and its fuel capacity. All the plane's characteristics and performance.

"I sure hope you got this in a legal way," Leo said. "I'm not going to pay for the charges."

"We'll cover that," Rickie, the talkative one, told him, grinning. "Just have fun with it for us, will you?"

"Sure, sure…"

Marcus came back to the group, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked, puzzled. "Did you lose the keys or something?"

Marcus shook his head. "No, I have them here. It's just that you have a visitor."

"If that's all, why the long face?"

"Well, she's asking for you, right now. She's waiting at the—"

"W-wait, he's a _she_?" Well, it wasn't everyday received female visitors. He hoped it wasn't Khione, after all the avoiding he had to do with monsters and gods he kept meeting in the streets.

Marcus nodded. "He's a she."

"Should I be scared?"

"Oh, just go see her!" His friends pressed on. "Don't keep her waiting!" One of them started pushing him back to the building, accompanying him to the waiting room. Leo looked back to them.

"Go on, pal," Marcus called out to Leo. "She's been waiting ever since morning."

"I know, I know." He wondered who in the world would sit there and would wait for him the whole day just to see him.

* * *

The guest room was probably the most elegant room in all of the facility, well regulated for the visitors. The walls were painted baby blue. There were refurnished coffee tables (on top were magazines, old newspapers and a box of tissue), soft couches and porcelain vases with live flowers. Newly laundered rugs lay on the tiled floor. The room was well lit, too. A homey feeling surrounded the room.

Leo was dressed up with his best and cleanest that was a white shirt and the academy's infamous blue jacket. (The jacket was pretty cool, but very pricey.) A young woman sat on one of the couches, looking tired. She probably had been waiting patiently for him, and the said patience was apparently running out. Leo walked into the guest room, trying to look—even though he felt stupid in doing so—impressive.

But the manners were dropped when he stopped in front of a familiar face sitting on the couch. He blinked for a moment, staring, then looked behind him, and then back again.

"Do you have a problem seeing me?"

"Yes…no." He grinned sheepishly. "How are you, Pipes? What brings you here?"

The woman forced a smile. "I'm fine, thanks."

But she didn't look fine. Leo noticed that there were lines around her eyes, and the dry lips that held her smile didn't last.

"You don't look too good."

"Thanks for pointing that out."

He sat down besides her. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" As much as he wanted for them to catch up in life, he sensed that she wasn't here for a mere reunion.

Piper didn't speak for a while. She was clearly tired, with her eyes half-closed, her head bowed.

"It's Jason."

Silenced passed them for a few minutes. Leo's fingers stopped tapping his knee. His brows furrowed.

"Jason? What did he do? Did he leave you? Hurt you? Did he go crazy and finally ride that mini submarine I built for him?"

Piper shook her head, not looking at his direction. "No, no, and definitely not the last one."

"Then what is it?"

She didn't answer right away. "He's…missing."

Laughter resonated from somewhere, followed by a round of applause.

He stared at her. "Missing? How?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know _how_. I've been looking for him _everywhere_. It's been, what, a week now? I tried calling him, contacted both of the camps, his friends, looked everywhere for him. Not even a clue. A trace. Anything." She paused. "Nobody knew where he is. Or what happened. He just…disappeared." She bowed her head and let out a long, relieved sigh.

Leo could understand the weight that Piper was carrying. He didn't know if she and Jason were still in any kind of relationship, and he was too afraid to ask about it right now, but it was still clear that the woman had something for the Roman.

"Nothing at all?"

"I tried everything, Leo."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I could've helped you look for him!"

Her shoulders slumped. "I…I didn't want to bother you."

"Oh, come on, Pipes, I bother you _all_ the time, remember? It's only fair you get to bother _me _sometimes."

Piper shook her head, almost wanting to bring her hand to her face. But inside, Piper felt thankful that Leo was offering help. The past few days were rough to her.

"But why me?"

She turned to him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you could have picked someone else to be your quest mate. I can help you search for Jason, but that's about it. I'll probably be just a tag-along, and I probably won't do much. Well, there's Annabeth, for instance. She can help you. Her boyfriend went missing once, too, right?"

She sighed. "You have a point. But…" she added, "…out of all of us… you're the one I trust the most."

It took Leo a few minutes to for the message to click. He stared at her for a long time, his mouth opening and closing. He squinted. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

He placed a hand on her forehead, which she quickly swatted away. "That's not the Piper I know."

"I'm fine." Piper looked away, taking interest in one of the furniture at the corner of the room. "I just want you to come with me. We're friends, right?"

"I still want to hear the real reason behind the invitation. You starting to have a crush on me now?" he teased, nudging her shoulder with his elbow.

"No way, Valdez." Piper smiled playfully, nudging him back. "You're the handyman for this quest."

Leo wrinkled his nose. "I didn't bring my tool belt though, so I'll be using my hands pretty often. I'm learning how not to depend on it always." He grinned. "So, where are we going?"

Piper stared at him. She knew that Leo actually knew more than he usually let on, but sometimes she couldn't believe the way he thought. "I guess the years didn't change you much."

At the remark, his expression darkened, his grin faded, replaced by a hollow smile. He _did_ change, ever since war against the Giants and Mother Earth, and, later, the accident regarding Reyna. They just didn't see it, and it wasn't very obvious. They were all used to seeing the same mask that Leo wore, so they wouldn't tell the difference.

His expression quickly brightened before Piper could notice his sudden change of mood. "So I'm your man for now, huh?"

She shrugged. "You can say that."

"Is there anything that could give us a clue to where he is? Anything at all?"

Piper hesitated. "I-I don't know. But there _is_ something—"

Leo raised his hand all of a sudden, stopping her mid-sentence. His ears perked up, his head slightly tilting to one side.

"What is it?" Piper looked around, alerted. Her hand slipped inside her coat, fingers closing on the hilt of her dagger.

He shut his eyes, waited, and then frowned. He heard snickering outside the room, and the sound of faint shuffling, familiar voices whispering. He groaned inwardly. _What are they doing here?_

He looked at Piper and shook his head, waving off the dagger. "It's nothing." Then he took out his new lighter, stood up and walked to the center of the room. The woman watched him, confused.

Leo looked up to the middle of the ceiling, and stood below a fire sprinkler. He looked at his lighter once more before lifting it up near the sprinkler. Leo had always wanted to do this, but he couldn't do it with his own fire. He would have to explain himself, and find a good reason for doing so. It was a questionable act, even for himself, but, hey, _ADHD!_ It was an excuse, albeit a poor one.

He flicked the lighter and held it up high.

_SWOOSH!_

_CRIIIINNG!_

Water fell down like rain, damping the carpets, the tables, the couches. Fire alarms blared. And from outside, people shouted outside. Piper remained seated on the now wet couch, staring at her friend, who seemed amused at himself.

A few people burst into the parlor, Leo's friends, hair and clothes drenched, and their faces…Well, they looked annoyed. "Oh, come now, Valdez!"

* * *

"He's damn lucky he's getting out today, or he'd be expelled. Or worse: he wouldn't be able to come back."

"Not coming back and getting expelled sounds the same to me, to be honest."

"Whatever."

Marcus sneezed, and someone offered a tissue. Piper and three of Leo's friends, Marcus, Rickie, and James, were all were sitting around another parlor which was for the students of the academy, with towels draped over their shoulders, still shivering. They were huddled around the TV, watching the late afternoon news.

Leo entered the circle with a work bag over his shoulder.

"…has passed away last night," he heard the reporter of the TV say.

Leo looked up to his friends.

"Who?"

Piper casually pointed at the TV. "Abigail London. You've of heard of her, right? Singer and daughter of Apol—" Then she stopped herself, realizing that his friends were listening to her. She waved her hand dismissively, looking at Leo. _You know, Gail?_

It took more than a minute for Leo's mind to click. _Oh yeah, her._

"Three days ago, she released a new single, 'Beloved's Tale,' a song she had composed, written, and sung with singer and long time friend, Jerome-K," said the female reporter of the TV. "She had stated that it was one of her favorite songs that she composed over the past few years. According to Jerome, the song was inspired by a dream she had a few days ago. Vivid and surreal, she had said. London called Jerome to help her with the song, and together they worked on it for three days. The single, as of now, has been selling well. It is probably due to the death of the artist that the public would be buying her last single as a tribute."

The male reporter looked at his partner. "That may be true. But the single has a funny title though, isn't it? Beloved's Tale? Do we get to hear the song?"

The other anchor nodded. "I guess we can hear the demo of the song." Then she nodded to her left, and the TV began to play a slow tune.

_Hear my prayer  
Stars of the dark night  
And listen to my story  
A beloved's tale lost in the light_

_O' faithful ones, give me strength to speak  
Mind and Heart, a battle within its peak  
Rulers of the night, bless me with courage to stand  
For I ask nothing of grand_

One of the men sitting on the sofa, Rickie, sighed. "What a loss. Abigail's really pretty."

They all nodded in agreement. Piper stood up and passed the towel to Rickie. "Thank you," she said. He smiled and took it.

"I've actually heard the song a lot of times since the release,"she stated. "It's a great song. A bit sad. Rachel is crazy over the single, wouldn't stop playing it over her laptop and music player."

They all laughed.

"Can you sing it?" Marcus said, looking at her interestedly.

Piper shook her head. "I would love to, but I can't seem to memorize the lyrics. Mental block, maybe."

She looked at Leo. "Are we going?"

Leo motioned to his bag.

"You guys sure you won't stay for the night?" Marcus asked.

"No, sorry, buddy. The outside world calls. And before I forget…"

Leo dug into his pockets and took out the keys to his plane. He tossed it to James.

"Watch my ride for me, will you, guys? I'll be back soon."

James nodded. "Sure thing, bud. And oh, take care of your nice lady friend for us, will you?" He winked. It was followed by howling and laughter by the others.

Leo shook his head, turning back from them, a smile escaping his lips. He ushered Piper to his side. "Ignore them, Pipes. Let's go now."

Piper laughed. "I don't mind. You have really nice friends here."

They exited the parlor, with Leo's friends still cheering even when they had exited the building.

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_A/N: Remember the drill, everyone. Reviews are food. We can't survive without it.  
Edited in 6/19/13.  
_


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